I've noticed that when I try to install Windows 11 on my Surface laptops using a standard ISO, a lot of critical drivers are missing. Unlike other laptops, which generally work right out of the box after installation, my Surface laptops don't have working keyboard, trackpad, or wifi upon setup. I'm aware that I can create a recovery drive that has all the necessary drivers, which is fine if I have multiple identical devices, but I have a mix of different Surface models. So, why can't Microsoft just include the drivers for their own hardware in the Windows 11 ISO? It seems illogical that they provide drivers for almost everyone else but not for their own devices.
5 Answers
It makes no sense why Surface laptops lack basic functionality without specific drivers, especially since they aren't that different from regular laptops. It feels like a headache they could avoid by using more standard hardware practices. I agree, the fact that keyboards or trackpads require dedicated drivers is baffling given their simplicity.
Absolutely! It’s like they’re making life difficult for no good reason.
Honestly, Microsoft seems to push using Intune and Autopilot for setups. But relying on those methods doesn’t help if you want to start with a clean ISO instead of a bloated one filled with unnecessary software.
I’m new to Intune; can it fully wipe and reinstall? That would actually make things easier!
I've had mixed results with Intune too. I often end up needing a USB install just to get the basics working.
Back in the day, we had challenges with Surface devices not having the right drivers in the Windows PE image. It's a bit of a hassle, honestly, especially when the issues aren't consistent across devices. At one point, we even needed to update the firmware to get certain USB accessories to work. So, it’s not just a straightforward issue with the drivers, but also the hardware compatibility when trying to deploy these machines.
We still keep legacy USB dongles around just for those cases. It’s crucial to find a reliable one and make sure you don't misplace it!
Honestly, these issues are one of the reasons we decided against ordering Surface devices. Too much unpredictability!
For Surface devices, you really have to use their official recovery image, since they don’t bother to include their own drivers in the typical Windows 11 installation. It's perplexing why they can't just add these drivers to the standard image. You can find the official recovery images [here](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface-recovery-image).
Agreed, but not just any recovery image will do. You need the machine-specific one. Microsoft's approach seems unnecessarily complicated when a universal image would work.
I've seen this happen a lot in big organizations where internal teams don’t communicate well. It seems like a mismanaged situation.
We manage several Surface laptops in our office and it’s been a constant source of frustration. I've had to create custom Windows 11 ISOs with the essential drivers to ensure things like the keyboard, trackpad, and network connections work right from the install. The size of those driver packs is ridiculous though; it's insane that they can't just use standard drivers.
And we shouldn’t have to rely on Windows Update for the core components to work!
Exactly! It shouldn't be too hard to include a few essential drivers in the base image for a smooth setup.
Right? Keyboards should be plug-and-play, yet here we are having to search for drivers.